Page 29 of A Breeze Over Rosewood Beach
Oscar watched her for a few moments as if she was something fascinating that he didn’t quite understand. “How do you think, Sally?” he asked finally. “What goes on in your head all the time?
She laughed. “What do you mean?”
“You’re so optimistic. How do you do it? Has nothing bad ever really happened to you?”
Sally thought about her heartbreak ten years ago, and of her constant struggles with grieving the fact that she had no family of her own. She shook her head. “Bad things have happened to me. Bad things happen to everyone. Optimism doesn’t ignore the facts, it’s a form of courage, I think. It’s hard to stay positive when you’re worried that things will get worse or you know that what you’re going through isn’t a good thing. But I believe that choosing to look on the bright side has many rewards, and science backs me up.” She chuckled. “It’s good for the body. And it’s easy to see the ways in which my trials have led me to good things, just like how your trials led you to Rosewood Beach.Struggling with the business aspects of my business caused me to go to Vivian Owens for help. I wanted to pick her brain about what I could do for my café, and our conversations about business blossomed into a friendship that I wouldn’t change for anything.”
Oscar nodded slowly, clearly processing Sally’s words. She wished she could pull back the curtains of his mind, so to speak, and see what he was thinking. He was interesting her more and more as she wondered what kind of a person he’d been in decades past.
What kind of a person is he now?she wondered, watching him almost fondly. Maybe nobody knows yet, not even him. Maybe he’s at a crossroads because of everything that’s happened, and because he’s starting a new life in such a healing, compassionate place.
“And maybe it’s not fair to list it as a silver lining, since it’s for my benefit,” she said, smiling at him, “but you coming here to Rosewood Beach allowed you to give me all this great advice. I’m quite grateful for it. And I can assure you that you’re definitely one heck of a businessman. Thanks for sharing some of your expertise with me.”
Oscar coughed gently, avoiding eye contact. “I don’t know that I would call that expertise. Just some general business strategies. It’s not like I did anything all that impressive.”
Sally’s heart went out to the man sitting in front of her again, and this time, she couldn’t resist her impulse to touch him.
“Oscar,” she said, gripping his forearm and looking very determined. “Just because you had some setbacks doesn’t mean that everything you’ve accomplished in your life is now nonexistent. You still did all those great things as a businessman. And nothing can erase the skills that you have, clearly. They’ll be useful to you again soon, although it sounds like you want it to be in a different capacity. This ‘failure’ ofyours has simply rerouted you in a new direction, not ended your time as a businessman. There’s so much good you can still do with the skills you have.”
Oscar stared at her as if he’d been frozen, and she removed her hand, wondering if she’d greatly overstepped by making such a passionate speech and touching him like that.
“I’m sorry,” she said, smiling apologetically. “I tend to speak my mind all the time, as long as my thoughts and ideas are positive. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything like that.”
Oscar shook his head, clearing his throat. “No, that’s all right.” He spoke slowly, looking down at the table instead of at her face. “Thank you. I appreciate you saying what you did.”
Sally nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at her. She felt something strange and achy well up in her chest.
“Well, I guess I’d better be going,” she said, laughing breathlessly. “Thank you again so much for the advice, Oscar. I can’t wait to put it to good use.”
“Anytime.” He looked up at her and smiled slightly. The achy feeling in her chest intensified. “I’ll check in at the café to see how things are going soon, once you’ve talked to the supplier.”
“Sounds great. But remember, you can come in whenever you want for the delicious food and the excellent company.”
Wiggling her fingers at him in a little wave, she walked away. She stepped through the front doors of The Lighthouse Grill and was halfway to her car before she realized something with a jolt.
I was flirting with him, she thought, her jaw dropping. She walked faster, floored by the realization. She got into her car and started the ignition, her head in a daze.
She hadn’t flirted with anyone in years. Why had she flirted with Oscar? Was she attracted to him all of a sudden, now that he’d shown himself to be so knowledgeable and helpful?
Or maybe, deep down, had she been attracted to him all along?
She drove away from The Lighthouse Grill, determined to focus her mind on other things. During the rest of her day, however, she couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Oscar and the funny way she was starting to feel.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jacob pushed open the front door of the new house, smiling as soon as he saw the interior. They’d finished painting the walls of the living room, and although there still wasn’t any furniture inside, the color made him feel as though the house was really theirs. Somehow it made it easier to imagine the three of them living there soon.
It’s Hazel,he thought, feeling his heart swell with love for his partner.It’s like there’s a clear sign of her love and care in the house now. That makes it feel like a home already, even without the furniture.
He strolled into the kitchen, wondering if Hazel was still putting up the sunshine yellow window curtains that she’d bought earlier that day. The kitchen was empty, however, although he smiled when he saw the way the yellow curtains brightened up the room.
All at once, he heard a loud thunk, and he glanced at the ceiling. The sound had clearly come from upstairs, and it sounded as though it had come from the direction of the guest bathroom.
Curious and a little worried, he climbed the staircase.
“Hazel?” he called. “Are you up here?”
“Hi, honey!”
